Bird Information
Contents:
- News;
- Bird Photography;
NEWS
This section contains news and information about interesting and remarkable observations that members of Tanager Tours have made only.
White-whiskered Puffbird (female) |
White-whiskered Puffbird, new for Peru
During a trip with customers to Tumbes we discovered a new species for Perú. On Dec 14th , 2007 we (Juvenal and Wim) walked with the two clients (Jim and Vicki King) from El Caucho (the INRENA station) to Pozo del Pato. This trail is situated in the Tumbes Reserved Zone, now called Parque nacional Cerros de Amotape. Within half a hour ( 1 km from the INRENA station) we had already two highlights for the trip. First good views of 2 juvenile Spectacled Owls and 5 mintues later Juvenal discovered a Puffbird. We were able to see the bird rather close and for a long time. It was clear that we had never seen before this species and also that this puffbird didn´t exist in the new "Birds of Peru", that we brought with us during the walk. We saw a second bird, with a completely different plumage, and thought that it was perhaps a juvenile. Much later with help of "the birds of Ecuador" we could identify the both individuals as a male and female White-whiskered Puffbird (M. panamensis) An hour later ( 2-3 km from the first place) we found another pair. From both females are taken pictures by Jim King. Ridgely´s Birds of Ecuador learned us that White-whiskered Puffbird is a widespread species in the western lowlands of Ecuador. So it is not a real surprise to find the species in Tumbes. Considering the fact that we found 4 individuals, it is probably already colonising this area.
Some (very) good birds photographed on the Manu Road
In July 2007 Wim (ten Have) was with the Dutch couple Harvey van Diek/ Annemarie van Krimpen and the Belgian birdguide Jürgen Beckers on a Manu trip. The short trip turned out to be a special one. Some lifers for Wim, for the rest of the company lots of new birds and for Harvey (not only a sharp birder but also an excellent and quick photographer) some shots of rare birds that are very difficult to photograph.
It started the first day with 4 White-rumped Swallows at Lake Huacarpay near Cusco, a rare migrant from the south, certainly at 3300 m.a.s.l. On the same day at the Acjanaco pass a pair of Scribble-tailed Canastero, not only well seen, but also photographed. And on the third day on the lower Manu Road two other good species in 15 minutes time: Cerulean-capped Manakin and Russet Antshrike. On our way back Harvey was so fast that he had already a picture of the manakin before the others could find the bird. The bird was relatively far away and sitting in the dark, so it took a minute before everyone had found it.
White-rumped Swallow |
Scribble-tailed Canastero |
Cerulean-capped Manakin |
Long-whiskered Owlet |
Long-whiskered Owlet, for the first time seen in wild
In February 2007 our people - David Geale and Juvenal Ccahuana - mist-netted 2 Owlets ans saw this species three times during daylight at Abra Patricia. A big success for them and for the whole ornithological world. Before this species was only mist-netted despite the fact that many birders did an attempt to find this "mystical" small owl. It happened during their monitoring project of nearly two months for ECOAN. ECOAN bought a huge amount of terrain near the top of Abra Patricia and will open in September 2007 accomodation for birders and other tourists. Foto by David Geale.
Orange-throated Tanager and White-masked Antbird
In September 2006 we organized a small expedition for 4 Dutch birders to an area near Imazita as part of their Nothern Peru trip. They were very successful, reporting Orange-throated Tanager and White-masked Antbird. At the end of 2007 we (the team of TT) will investigate the area better and hope to confirm the record of White-masked Antbird.
Red-billed Ground-Cuckoo, first for Manu
Rob Farnes reported on September 1st (2006) at Pantiacolla lodge a Red-billed Ground-Cuckoo at an army ant swarm. Nearly unbelievable this first record for Manu, but the fact that the bird was observed during 20 minutes by a serious -although not experienced in South America- birder makes the observation reliable. In recent years there are reported new species for Manu that nobody believed untill it showed up again and untill it was seen by many people. One of the best examples was Blue-fronted Lancebill for instance. Another strange, but reliable new species for Manu in 2006 is Straw-backed Tanager.
Yungas Antwren, second record for Peru
Tanager Tours do sometimes recce trips, hoping that it results in new birds for ourselves and in a new itinerary that we can offer to our clients. This year - May 2006- we went to the Sandia Valley near Puno. Knowing that in 2005 two new species for Peru were discovered near the Bolivian border, we tried to relocate them. One of them- Yungas Antwren- we found, Bolivian Recurvebill we did not. See the section "Trip Reports" for more info about our trip.
Creamy-bellied Antwren, range extension
In 2005 David Geale heard and briefly saw an Herpsilochmus Antwren in the Sandia Valley near San José. Others reported in the same valley a possible Black-capped Antwren, that would be new for Peru. In May 2006 we returned to the place where David had seen the bird in 2005. It turned out that it was a Creamy-bellied Antwren, good sightings and tape recordings confirmed the record. It is remarkable to find this Peruvian endemic so close to the Bolivan border and so close to where the distribution of Black-capped Antwren starts.
Ochre-cheeked Spinetail, recently discovered in Peru
During our recce trip in May 2006 in the Sandia Valley we located different individuals of this Spinetail. We discovered that this species -seen for the first time in June 2005- is not uncommon near San Juan de Oro.
Ring-billed Gull |
Ring-billed Gull, first record for Peru
On March 8th, 2006 Wim ten Have discovered an adult Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) along the river mouth of the National Sanctuary of Mejia, department Arequipa. The bird was resting in between a big group of Franklinīs Gulls. He was able to take one picture from a rather long distance before the group flew away.
Sira Tanager, unsuccessful attempt
In May 2005 the people of Tanager Tours tried to find the Sira Tanager. This species is only known from the type locality in the Sira Mountains near Pucallpa, where it was collected in 1969. We tried another locality, thinking that if was more accessible and hoping to be able to show this bird in the future to our most dedicated customers. Unhappily one of us got lost in a very isolated area without trails and there was not enough time left to carry on with the expedition. Still we have the idea that some very special birds like Sira Tanager, Helmeted Curassow and Rufous-brown Solitaire are possible, so we hope to return next year. In a relatively short time we (especially David) have already found 244 species of birds in this promising area.
"San Pedro" Tanager, new species for science
In June 2005 Juvenal and David (resp. driver and guide of Tanager Tours) found the undescribed new Tanager along the Manu Road under the Cock-of-the-Rock lodge (San Pedro). After its discovery in 2001 by Dan Lane and Gary Rosenberg and after one bird was collected in 2004, hardly anyone has seen the Tanager, surprisingly because the Manu Road is the most birded place in Peru. In September 2006 David had good views again and could even show the birds to the customers.They are now the first lucky people that have seen the new tanager besides a few professional guides.
Lemon-rumped Tanager, third record in Peru
In March 2005 Juvenal and Wim saw a Lemon-rumped Tanager, Ramphocelus icteronotus in the Reserved Zone of Tumbes. It was the third observation for this species in Perú after its discovery in 2004.
Chestnut-collared Swallow, an amazing number in Tumbes
In March 17, 2005 Juvenal and Wim found the amazing number of around 600 Chestnut-collared Swallows, Petrochelidon rufocollaris near Zorritos in the department of Tumbes. This species is never reported so far north. Not far south from Tumbes this swallow is regularly seen but never in that number.
Dotted Tanager, rare species in Peru
On our first trip to Tarapoto (March 2005) we found a Dotted Tanager in a mixed flock of tanagers. This species is very rare in Perú. We found the bird 15 km down from the tunnel, around 35 km north of Tarapoto in a place where it has been reported before. See our report Tumbes till Tarapoto for more information about our trip to Nothern Perú.
Xenopsaris |
Xenopsaris, new species for Peru
In July 2004 Wim ten Have of Tanager Tours visited Pampas del Heath
together with Renzo Zeppilli, Huw Lloyd, Barry Walker and Claudia Torres
(mostly people from Manu Expeditions). Pampas del Heath is part of the
reserve Bahuaja-Sonene in the Department of Madre de Dios. To reach this
area along the border with Bolivia it took us a boat drive of one and
a half day from Puerto Maldonado.
On July 12 Renzo discovered a unusual becard-like flycatcher. Next morning
the whole group went to the same spot and we could confirm that it was a
(White-naped) Xenopsaris, Xenopsaris albinucha. Wim and Claudia were
able to take some pictures. Huw wrote a paper about this new species for
Perú. The paper has been be published in Cotinga in 2006.
BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY
In this section, but also on the other pages of our website you will find photo´s that customers and I (Wim ten Have) made during our trips.
Some of these people have their own websites where you can find all their bird pictures, see the section Links
Contributors: James Ownby, Eduard Sangster,Bernard van Elegem,Markus Lagerqvist, Peter Nash, Michel Kuijpers, Dave van der Spoel, Roy de Haas, Rob Nachtegaal, Harvey van Diek .
Thanks to all for the permission to use the pictures !
 |
TANAGER TOURS | |
| La Estrella F-9 | ||
| J.L. Bustamante y Rivero | ||
| Trujillo - Perú | ||
| Phone: | +51 44 423752 | |
| e-mail: | info@tanagertours.com | |
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